re: What makes your average southern man anti-union?

No link, but. My husband is an operator at a plant in BR. He hated the union to begin with bc he says it's pointless. Their union wouldn't go to bat for an employee who needed them to. Still that same good ole boy asskissing. Anyways, he found out that a large percentage of his union dues (800$) a year I think, went to obamas campaign in 08. He left the union after that, but still enjoys any raises, etc the union negotiates with the company. Again, pointless.

re: What makes your average southern man anti-union? (Posted on 11/15/12 at 1:30 pm to 777Tiger)

There is an imbalance between employer and employee in that the former tends to lack the same incentive to compromise. I do not doubt that.

There is an incentive for the employer to compromise, though, if the alternative is to lose a valuable employee.

It may seem draconian, but your employer determines your value in the context of business. This does not preclude you from having other value in different contexts, and it also does not preclude you from individually bargaining for something you want.

The GodfatherLSU FanSurrounded by a-holesMember since Mar 200531696 posts

re: What makes your average southern man anti-union? (Posted on 11/15/12 at 1:37 pm to RealityTiger)

quote:Having been a subcontractor who worked out in the field before, I can say that my interactions with union contractors were usually negative. Defiant, lazy, not willing to work with you to get the job done over a technicality that your company isn't union and his is, etc. Very childish. The non-union contractors still have employees that act that way, but it's more of individual case by case type deal. The union companies I'm talking about, every employee acted that way and was the company-wide culture.

Has been my experience in the past as well, along with my dad and uncle getting jumped by union workers leaving work one day for the crime of..not being union. I recall working in a particular plant in BR that has union workers in it, it was one of those lovely brutally hot summer days and i stopped at water fountain at the maintainance shop only to be told "thats union water, go somewhere else "

That has nothing to do with it. In a closed shop union, the union is bound by law to represent all workers in the same class/craft. If that is not the case where you husband works, he is indeed benefiting off the efforts, and expense, of his co-workers. No, I'm not the union president by a long shot, I've just been around long enough to have seen this argued from every conceivable angle, and had to throw in my 2 cents.

re: What makes your average southern man anti-union? (Posted on 11/15/12 at 1:42 pm to DanTiger)

Not sure if it was mentioned but the difference is in state laws. The south has right to work states where as the north does not. I vaguely remember learning this in Business Law while in college.

A "right-to-work" law is a statute in the United States of America that prohibits union security agreements, or agreements between labor unions and employers that govern the extent to which an established union can require employees' membership, payment of union dues, or fees as a condition of employment, either before or after hiring. Right-to-work laws exist in twenty-three U.S. states, mostly in the southern and western United States. Such laws are allowed under the 1947 federal Taft–Hartley Act.

re: What makes your average southern man anti-union? (Posted on 11/15/12 at 1:44 pm to shiftworker)

If unions were really strong again, you wouldn't see illegals streaming here for jobs bc they couldn't be hired. Add in some tariffs like there used to be and jobs would return from China. Imagine what a horrible world that would be.

re: What makes your average southern man anti-union? (Posted on 11/15/12 at 1:45 pm to 777Tiger)

I understand. My husband stuck it out for a while, even unhappy, but the dues going to the campaign he could not handle. He's only 1 of 2 guys who left. Everyone else wants to but they are scared of what people will think of them.

re: What makes your average southern man anti-union? (Posted on 11/15/12 at 1:47 pm to biglego)

quote:If unions were really strong again, you wouldn't see illegals streaming here for jobs bc they couldn't be hired.

an the cost of goods would skyrocket due to elevated wage levels

quote:Add in some tariffs like there used to be and jobs would return from China.

i dont see what this has to do with unions

the fact is that the american consumer is now addicted to many items being as inexpensive as possible. the amercian workforce cannot produce those items at a wage and rate by which the company can make an acceptable margin for its shareholders